Main menu

You are here

LORAIN - The Lorain Port Authority is bringing back the Black River Nature Tours beginning Wednesday. The popular attraction from last summer will be held every Wednesday through Aug. 27.
"The nature tours are a great learning experience and they are a way to educate area residents about the great natural resources we have to offer in Lorain," said Richard Novak, executive director. "We are hoping to have a lot of community groups and families enjoy this throughout the summer."

Tonia Maxwell has been recognized by Allstate Insurance Company for high standards in customer satisfaction, customer retention and profitability.
Maxwell is now one of the top Allstate agents in the nation in auto, property and commercial insurance and financial service sales.

School may be out for the summer, but a couple hundred incoming kindergartners are still learning.
They are learning things such as the significance of 9-1-1, the importance of crossing the street safely, how to act when approached by a stranger, the job of a police officer and firefighter and fire safety.

Main Street Manager Dave Gulden will use a study by Ashland University business marketing students focusing on consumers to recruit new businesses for uptown Norwalk.
Gulden said the study came up with some several suggestions restaurants, clothing and retail, sporting goods and places geared to the younger generation such as video game stores and boutiques.

It has been a seasonal tradition for decades in the area pack up chairs, blankets, pillow, toys and junk food, then stay out until 2 a.m. watching movies at the Star View Drive-in.
For Shelley Ann and Dave Sehl, it's a weekly tradition. They bring their son, Jaden Fannin, almost every Sunday evening.

Four-year-old Clark Houtz happily chewed on one of his mother's freshly-made vegan chocolate cupcakes.
He said his mother only lets him have one per sitting, but he would eat five at one time if he were allowed. Chrissy Houtz laughed in response, saying he knows she lets him have more than one.
"I wasn't sure if I should have a vegan main course or a dessert, but I think people are more curious" about desserts, Houtz said about her choice for this week's featured recipe.

Karen Opper, who has been dancing for 14 years, will be front and center for her newest role - a Front Line dancer for the Miss Ohio pageant.
Opper, 17, daughter of Kacey and Larry Opper of Norwalk, was chosen as one of the six featured dancers for the event even though she couldn't perform at try-outs because of a broken thumb.

Don't look now, but four Norwalk High School graduating seniors could become famous entrepreneurs one day.
For them, it's not just an empty dream they've built a device that could catapult them to fame within the gaming industry.
Recall, for a moment, the convenience of a rotating musical CD disc changer.

The Norwalk school board approved one-year contracts for nine teachers and accepted the retirement of two others during its Tuesday night meeting.
The following educators will be working for the district during the 2008-2009 academic year effective Aug. 22, with their respective positions and schools in parentheses: Dustin Baker, of Perrysburg (Norwalk High School English); Amy Cornoyer, of Norwalk (Norwalk Middle School Title I); Karina Costello, of Huron (Main Street School fifth-grade science and math); Kathryn Cring, of Monroeville (Maplehurst Elementary School fourth-grade); Abigail Doss, of Monroeville (NHS intervention specialist); Heather Karshuk, of Clyde (Maplehurst fourth-grade); Julie Riley, of Norwalk (Main Street intervention specialist); Lauren Windau, of Huron (NMS seventh-grade science); and Melanie Zerman (NHS intervention specialist).

Last week I discussed the building of the present St. Paul Episcopal Church on West Main Street in Norwalk, in 1908 and 1909. At the time the church complex consisted of three buildings - the sanctuary, the rectory to the east (razed in 2007), and Benedict Chapel to the west. The latter building was completed in 1863 for Sunday School purposes only. Platt Benedict was the major donor, so it was named for him.
Behind these buildings is what remains of the "Episcopal' Cemetery. Burials took place here even before the Wardens and Vestry took official title to the land in 1828. West Main Street land is part of the Starr and Canfield Tract, which in 1828 was owned by three Connecticut men named Tweedy, White and Hoyt. Platt Benedict was their local land agent, and had decided that the present lot was the ideal location for the Episcopal parish. He allowed burials in the cemetery as early as 1819 when the two American Indians convicted of murder were hanged and then buried in the west part of the burial ground. Caroline Tice was the first local person buried there, in March 1820.

Business continues to grow on U.S. 250 in Norwalk with a new Friendship Food convenience store and gas station slated to move in early in 2009.
Norwalk Motor Sales is moving a few addresses south and the new store and station owned by Beck Suppliers will take its place on U.S. 250 next to the Goodwill store.

mlboose@norwalkreflector.com
Bethany Dentler, Norwalk's economic development director, hopes this area can eventually benefit from wind technology that is now being used in Bowling Green.
With energy costs rising, Ohio is finally starting to explore new technology to use nature to provide for the future and Bowling Green has four wind turbines to provide energy to 1,800 homes.
"Ohio is so far behind the curve in developing wind energy," said Kevin Maynard, director of utilities for Bowling Green.

Huron County Sheriff's Sgt. Annette McLaughlin started pursuing suspects accused of stealing scrap material last week. She ended up chasing someone who stole a county landfill truck.
The green 1991 Chevrolet pickup truck was found Thursday night at a Richland County township garage on Gutherie Road, Capt. James "Jamey" Bracken said. A dispatcher's report indicates the vehicle had front end damage possibly from being driven through a front gate.

NEW LONDON - Sheriff's deputies and state fire marshal investigators are probing the stolen car that caught fire along the western edge of the New London Reservoir. One suspect has been arrested while his passenger remains at large.
Visitors in the 2700 block of Omega Road reported the theft of their 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier about 10 a.m. Monday. Capt. James "Jamey" Bracken said the victims suspected it happened several hours earlier. The car was recovered about 12:30 p.m. near the railroad tracks intersecting Townline Road 79.

The former bookkeeper of a rural Norwalk church was ordered to pay &#036;15,000 in restitution Tuesday for embezzling money for three years.
Glen D. Merritt Jr., 35, of Turkey Creek, Ky., pleaded guilty April 28 to attempted grand theft for the incidents between May 2004 through May 2007 involving Reigning Word Fellowship Church.

BY DON HOHLER
Reflector Sportswriter
mgreco@norwalkreflector.com
MANSFIELD Local senior professional Gary Wilkins finished birdie-birdie to pass Cleveland pro Mark Writtendorf with two holes left to win his second Northern Ohio PGA Senior's event in 2008. His 1-under par 71 gave him a one shot win over Shaker Heights professional Tom Fussaro.